Part 135 and 91k operators in North America – shared jets – clocked a record 2,699,184 flight hours in 2021, a 64% increase from 2020 and 24% above 2019, according to Argus TraqPak.
Moreover, fractional and charter operators continued to gain a more significant share in the overall private aviation market.
Part 91k and 135 flights accounted for 54.3% of the industry’s 2,273,322 hours, increasing 2.3 share points year-over-year and 5.8 share points since 2019.
2021 Private Aviation Data and Statistics 2021’s 30 Biggest Charter/Fractional Private Jet Companies Ranked (Full Year) 25 Largest Part 135 Private Jet Charter Companies for 2021 ranked 2021’s Biggest Part 91k Fractional Private Jet Operators ranked 25 Busiest U.S. Private Jet Airports in 2021 2021 Private Jet Flights by State-by-State
It continues a 10-year trend. In 2021, shared private jets flew just 43.7% of the industry’s total hours.
It marks a shift towards floating fleets, jet cards, memberships, and fractional ownership more recently.
| Year | Total Industry Hours | Charter & Fractional Hours | % Share |
| 2007 | 4,717,848 | 2,086,487 | 44.2% |
| 2008 | 4,278,020 | 1,894,910 | 44.3% |
| 2009 | 3,531,151 | 1,536,486 | 43.5% |
| 2010 | 3,764,205 | 1,655,876 | 44.0% |
| 2011 | 3,776,004 | 1,655,788 | 43.9% |
| 2012 | 3,800,140 | 1,662,474 | 43.7% |
| 2013 | 3,812,905 | 1,749,005 | 45.9% |
| 2014 | 3,923,290 | 1,812,002 | 46.2% |
| 2015 | 4,030,915 | 1,858,952 | 46.1% |
| 2016 | 4,183,472 | 1,948,354 | 46.6% |
| 2017 | 4,415,602 | 2,144,685 | 48.6% |
| 2018 | 4,446,777 | 2,161,369 | 48.6% |
| 2019 | 4,506,275 | 2,184,958 | 48.5% |
| 2020 | 3,155,211 | 1,641,516 | 52.0% |
| 2021 | 4,972,506 | 2,699,184 | 54.3% |
It also shows how the industry is getting greener.
Private jets that fly under Part 135 – charter – and 91k – fractional – are shared by multiple users. Fractional jets have as many as 16 owners. Charter jets carry hundreds of different clients.
In other words, all of the carbon outputs from materials and processes it takes to manufacture a private jet become amortized over numerous users instead of just a single owner.
While a green focus may not drive the trend, it does add that benefit.
Whether the Covid gains hold up in 2022 remains a big question. While corporate flight departments were on a slower recovery track, Part 91 activity is expected to see a strong rebound in 2022.
While Part 91 aircraft often fly less than 200 hours per year, private jets that are part of floating fleets often clock over 1,000 flight hours.
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